Finding the Third Proportional to 40,072 and 53,538

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   40,072 : 53,538 = 53,538 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   40,072/53,538 = 53,538/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   40,072x = 53,538 × 53,538
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   40,072x = 2,866,317,444
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 2,866,317,444/40,072
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 71,529.18